Selina stared at the dazzlingly beautiful dress and mask nestled inside the box.

At first glance, the pure white gown resembled the one she had worn on her wedding day, but this one was far more elaborate. The sleeves left her shoulders bare, then cascaded down and coiled around her arms. The fabric covering her hands was so sheer that her skin showed through. Countless jewels, glowing softly like the moonstones she had once seen at the Moonlight Palace, adorned the line from her chest to her throat. At their center, amid delicate lace, a single red gem burned with an intense light, as though the necklace were set aflame.

Her gaze lingered on the crimson jewel, strikingly reminiscent of Calix’s eyes, before shifting to the mask.

Shaped with graceful lines, the large white mask concealed her eyes and nose. A white feather resembling a swan’s was fixed to one side, and sparkling tiaras adorned the edges. At first glance, the mask seemed subdued, yet upon closer inspection, it was overwhelmingly lavish.

Still dazed by the splendor of an outfit unlike anything she had ever seen before, Selina only then noticed a single note resting at the bottom of the box. Written in neat handwriting was just one short sentence.

「I hear the Countess’s party is tomorrow. I hope you enjoy satisfying your curiosity.」

Had he remembered what she had said to him that night?

“It’s not that I truly wanted to go because I was curious about Lady Salome’s party….”

Had Calix misunderstood her intentions? Perhaps he thought she would be interested in attending a reputationably licentious party.

“Yuri. I can’t accept this gift. I think His Grace has misunderstood something. I should return it at once.”

Selina closed the box. But Yuri gently shook her head.

“His Grace anticipated that you might refuse, madam, so he asked me to deliver this message in advance. He said he is too busy to accompany you, but hopes that you will meet Countess Salome this time—and see for yourself whether the party is truly what you were seeking.”

Yuri’s voice was as gentle as ever, yet there seemed to be hidden barbs in the words attributed to Calix.

‘To see whether it’s the party I was looking forward to….’

Selina’s face drained of color as she finally accepted the box.

“Please rest well, Madam.”

Having finished her task, Yuri bowed and left the room. Left alone, Selina absently toyed with the gift box Calix had sent before lying down on the bed.

‘What is Calix thinking?’

Earlier that day, she had felt as though she might take flight. Realizing that her feelings had not been unrequited had made her happy.

However, only a few hours later, her feelings had changed. Now, she could no longer read his intentions, leaving her feeling restless and unsettled.

Was he trying to reprimand her for using divorce as an excuse to attend a scandalous party? Or did he really want her to go, even just the once?

‘If it’s neither of those… then could it be—’

The most unsettling possibility entered Selina’s mind.

What if Calix’s feelings had changed?

Her hand trembled slightly as she gently ran her fingers over the spot where he had slept. The neatly arranged sheets bore no trace of him.

Everything changes over time.

What about the few moments of happiness she could count on one hand until now? Before she had even realized they were happiness, they had slipped away through her fingers like grains of sand.

‘Maybe this time will be the same.’

She squeezed her eyes shut.

The pressing darkness felt as though it were telling her that she had always been alone.

The next morning arrived — the day of Countess Salome’s party.

“My goodness, Madam! Did you sleep poorly last night?”

Having spent the night awake, her face looked unusually dull and haggard. Yuri, who had come to help her get dressed, was taken aback by what she saw.

“No. I slept, but I woke up in the middle of the night.”

She smiled awkwardly in response, but the truth was that she hadn’t slept at all.

She had strained her ears, wondering if she might hear Calix enter the room across the hall, but there had been no sign of him.

‘Is Calix not coming back tonight?’

This reminded her of the days when Calix would come home late after a night of drinking. One thought led to another, and she inevitably found herself thinking about Countess Salome’s party again. This plunged her into gloom once more.

‘He said he’s busy with the investigation. And yet here I am, doubting someone who’s trying so hard for my sake… get a grip.’

The moment she realized this, she felt as though she were sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. It was difficult to escape that mood once it had taken hold, so she shook her head vigorously and spoke to Yuri.

“It’s my first time attending a party in Thalia, so I’m a bit nervous… Please take good care of me today, Yuri.”

“Of course! I may not look it, but when it comes to handiwork, I’m the best in the grand ducal residence.”

Yuri nodded confidently and brought in several other maids, beginning to prepare Selina in earnest.

Selina closed her eyes as she sat down on the chair. Only now did the fatigue from her sleepless night overwhelm her. Relinquishing control to the gentle hands at work on her, she drifted off. By the time she opened her eyes again, the preparations were complete.

“Today, you’ll be the most beautiful person at the party, Madam!”

Yuri smiled with clear satisfaction as she looked at Selina’s reflection in the mirror.

“R-really?”

In truth, the figure reflected back at her was so beautiful that she hardly recognized herself. As she stared at the mirror in a daze, Yuri spoke in a voice tinged with regret.

“Of course. Though it is a shame that such a beautiful face has to be hidden behind a mask….”

She lifted the white mask adorned with swan feathers.

At Countess Salome’s party, it was a requirement for all guests to wear masks. When Selina asked Yuri why, she laughed and gave an ambiguous answer.

“I suppose it would be difficult to enjoy that kind of party in full view of everyone, wouldn’t it?”

‘Just what kind of party is it, exactly….’

Even during the carriage ride, Selina’s curiosity about the party only grew.

However, the moment she stepped onto the Countess’s lavish estate, she forgot all about it.

“…!”

From the moment she stepped into the garden, she could hear strange sounds coming from somewhere within the hedges.

At first, she wondered if she had misheard; her skin prickled as though every hair on her body had stood on end. The further she went, however, the more certain she became of what she could hear.

Inside the banquet hall, countless masked guests gathered in groups of three or four, concealing their identities. They were indulging in unabashed physical intimacy so explicit that it was difficult to look at. When their gazes met Selina’s, some of them even beckoned her closer with openly suggestive gestures.

‘My goodness….’

Selina squeezed her eyes shut. But this did nothing to block out the atmosphere.

The musicians inside were playing at breakneck speed and, interspersed with the thunderous melodies, there were sounds that one would never hear at an ordinary party.

‘I don’t think this is a place I should have come to.’

The words ‘Satisfy your curiosity’, spoken by Calix, suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

She had never felt this kind of curiosity before. How was she supposed to indulge such feelings here?

As she always did at gatherings, she wanted more than anything to hide in a corner until the party was over. But every corner was already occupied by people lost in their own indulgence.

Glancing towards the table at the center of the hall, she saw that it was crowded with drunken guests busy teasing and pawing at one another.

There was nowhere she felt she belonged.

Panic rose in her chest and she hurried towards one of the side rooms. But before she could enter, she heard voices from beyond the door, forcing her to stop and turn away.

Changing direction in haste, she headed back towards the banquet hall, her thoughts spiraling as she moved.

‘Should I just go back now?’

Her head felt as though it were spinning.

If only she had come with Yuri or someone else, they could have suggested that they leave. But this party didn’t allow guests, which was the problem. She was here alone.

“Two hours will be enough, Madam. I’ll come to escort you back after two hours!”

Yuri’s words resurfaced in her mind.

That meant she would have to endure this unfamiliar, frightening party for at least two more hours.

‘I should go somewhere with as few people as possible.’

After some deliberation, she opted for that solution. If she stayed somewhere secluded, she wouldn’t bump into anyone and there would be nothing to worry about.

Just as she was about to slip out of the banquet hall again to find a quieter room,

“Why is such a lovely lady standing here all alone?”

Someone seized her wrist.

The sudden touch made every hair on her body stand on end. Startled, she turned her head and saw a man wearing a grey mask standing before her.

“Is this perhaps your first time at such a party? If you don’t mind, I could show you how things work.”

“I-it’s all right. I’m feeling a bit unwell, so I was just about to get some air….”

“Oh? You’re not feeling well? Then let me check whether you’re truly all right.”

The man took Selina’s hand naturally and placed it on top of his own. Before she could react, he quickly removed the thin glove she had been wearing.

“W-why are you doing this all of a sudden…?”

“I’m quite skilled at diagnosing illnesses just by touch.”

Despite his mask’s rough appearance, his fingers moved with unsettling delicacy as he traced them over Selina’s wrist.